Creature of Shadows
by MacavityManiac
Summary: what happens a year later when the opera house is rebuilt and Erik finds a girl who shares the same fate as him. Will it end in tragedy? I own nothing except Sophia.
1. Chapter 1

The Phantom of the Opera stood on the newly rebuilt stage of his opera house. He stared around. Everything was just as it had been before the fire. Except, he was supposed to be dead. When the mob had come to find him, he had snuck out, leaving one of his masks and letting them think he was dead. Now, he was back.

As was Christine. His angel of music was here again. With her new husband, the Vicomte de Changy.

He sighed and glanced absentmindedly into the wings, and caught a strange glimpse of a ragged dress dashing up the stairs to the rafters. Silently he followed the figure up the winding staircase. He stopped in the middle of the rafters when he saw a girl, maybe Christine's age, huddled in the corner, holding a noose. All he could see was a mass of dirty dark auburn hair and a ragged brown dress. She seemed to be lowering the noose around her own neck. He rushed forward, grabbing her stick thin arm. She hissed and struggled against him, but she seemed to have no strength. She reluctantly released her grip from the rope, and he gentley set it aside.

"Now, why would you want to hurt yourself?" he murmured.

The girl gave a dry laugh.

"O-oh Monsieur, if you only k-knew."

She stared coldly at him through her hair, through very pale, almost white-blue eyes. He reached up to push her hair out of her eyes. She made a move to bite his hand. He drew it back quickly.

"What's your name?"

The girl stood tiredly up, her hair still hanging in her face.

"W-why should I t-tell you? I d-don't even k-know you."

He shrugged.

"My name is Erik. Do you work here?"

She shook her head slowly.

"I-I live here. In t-the rafters."

Erik raised one eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

The girl nodded, fiddling with her dingy brown skirt.

"I h-have for the p-past seven years. Y-you…you're the P-phantom, aren't you? T-the one who h-helped Miss D-Daae?"

Erik nodded, trying to hide the fact that Christine's name stung him.

"Yes I am."

"D-do you think you c-could help me?"

Erik smiled slightly.

"Exactly, what do you mean, Mademoiselle?"

"I-I want to be a-a singer," she stuttered nervously.

Erik put a hand on her shoulder.

"Mademoiselle, I cannot help you unless I know your name."

Slowly, he pushed her hair from her eyes. He drew back in shock. The girl cracked a crooked smile.

"M-my name is S-Sophia. Sophia T-Triano."


	2. Chapter 2

Her face was horribly scarred. Long, red scars crisscrossed maliciously all over her face, mingling with red scars from burns. Beneath the scars, her skin was a soft gold, gleaming between the cruel lines. It looked as if she had had a bad break on her upper cheek bone. It was quite bruised and swollen. The girl's crooked smile lit up her whole face, pinching the scars on her cheeks tightly.

"I-I know. You're p-probably going to l-leave now."

Erik shook his head slowly, still starring at her face.

"N-no. I'm not going to leave."

He cleared his throat loudly.

"Alright, let me hear you sing."

Sophia nodded, took a breath, and started.

"_You have brought me_

_To that moment_

_Where words run dry._

_To that moment_

_Where speech disappears_

_Into silence_

_Silence._

_I have come here_

_Hardly knowing_

_The reason why._

_In my mind_

_I've already_

_Imagined_

_Our bodies entwining._

_Defenseless and silent._

_Now I am here with you no second thoughts,_

_I've decided_

_Decided."_

Her voice became deeper and richer. Erik listened, his heart breaking when he thought of the last time he'd heard this song.

"_Past the point of no return_

_No going back now!_

_Our passion play_

_Has now at last_

_Begun._

_Past all thought_

_Of right or wrong_

_One final question_

_How long should_

_We two wait_

_Before we're one?_

_When will the blood_

_Begin to race?_

_The sleeping bud_

_Burst into bloom?_

_When will the flames_

_At last _

_Consume_

_Us?_

_We've past the point_

_Of no_

_Re-turn."_

Erik was silent. Than, he struck her across the face, blinded by unimaginable anger. That song was made for Christine, and Christine only!

She took the hit with nothing more than a whimper.

"T-this is why I-I don't trust p-people," she whispered. "You t-trust them, t-they hurt y-you."

She, in turn, struck him across the face; knocking his mask off. She gasped quietly at the sight of his face.

"O-oh my."

Erik didn't bother to cover his deformity. He just glared at Sophia. She lowered her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Monsieur. P-please, will you still h-help me?"

Erik narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure he would be able to put up with this girl. But, than again, at least he wouldn't have to wear his mask around her.

"Mademoiselle, I will help you. On one condition."

Sophia blinked.

"Y-yes?"

Erik smiled.

"You must call me Erik."


End file.
